The Ethical Considerations of Brain-Computer Interfaces

Abstract

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) were developed in the late 20th century as computer systems that use inputs from brain signals to command a device in the user’s external environment. BCI technology may have a powerful impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities that inhibit their movement or communication; users have the opportunity to interact with their physical environment and community through these assistive devices. However, as BCIs emerge as revolutionary tools in biotechnology, they raise an onslaught of ethical considerations. This paper addresses the potential benefits and harms of BCI using the work of Immanuel Kant and Francis Fukuyama as primary guiding philosophical theories. This paper analyzes how BCIs can restore personhood and autonomy in those with disabilities that hinder their connection to their bodies. Simultaneously, this paper discusses how BCIs may undermine personhood and autonomy if enhancing the user’s capabilities past natural human function. This paper analyzes how BCIs used for enhancement purposes may affect perceptions of legal and moral responsibility, boundaries on normality, and the foundations of human nature and dignity. This paper argues that while BCIs have the therapeutic potential to bring those with disabilities closer in touch with their humanity, they threaten to undermine the human rights and dignity essential to a functioning society if used extensively for enhancement.